digitization training and metadata the view from two uiuc projects sarah l. shreeves university of...
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Digitization Training and Metadata
The View from Two UIUC Projects
Sarah L. ShreevesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Truth and Consequences of DigitizationAASLH Annual MeetingSeptember 30, 2004
Need for Digitization Training “Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation’s
Museums and Libraries” – 2002 IMLS Most common hindrance: Lack of funds (no surprise!) AND: “lack of available expertise”
Digitization training can be time consuming, expensive, require travel….
BUT
Training is essential for successful digitization projects.
“Basics and Beyond” digitization training program University of Illinois Library Illinois State Library Illinois Heritage Association
Three levels of digitization training through workshops and on-line courses: Different costs and time commitments for each.
The Illinois Digitization Institute
Instruction on digitization fundamentals Advantages/disadvantages of digitization How to plan a successful project What digital images are made of Buying appropriate equipment Professional standards for digital projects What metadata is and why it’s important Making use of the Illinois State Library’s
Illinois Digital Archives (IDA)
Basics and Beyond covers:
Track 1: One Day Workshop
Given at different sites throughout Illinois What they’re learning:
Pre-quiz score: 4/5 out of 9 wrong Majority say they have “none” or a “small
amount” of prior digitization knowledge Post-quiz score: 1/2 out of 9 wrong 85% say they will use 75 – 100% of what they
learned in the workshop in future projects
Web-based advanced digitization training Three week, asynchronous (but instructor led)
on-line course Electronic bulletin board allows
communication among participants 75 – 80% of students have accessed the
information at least once 3 weeks after the course has ended
TRACK 2:
IDI Training Opportunities
Familiarity with D igitization
54%44%
2%
Track 2: Previous Experience
Only 2% are comfortable with the entire digitization process
Over 54% have no or only basic theoretical knowledge of digitization
44% have basic practical experience or worked on a small project in the past
Track 2: However…
Over 87% plan on doing a project 95% already own some kind of digitization
equipment – mostly flatbeds and digital cameras
40% plan on digitizing 1,000 or more items from their collections
Many are already involved in project when they take the course
Track 2: What They Said “The earlier readings on planning
(especially those concerning copyright & prices) were eye-opening.”
“This course was so important to my project. I feel like I know 300% more than I did when I started it.”
“The guidelines for purchasing equipment were very useful and timely for me.”
“Every single day had information that I will apply to my digitization projects.”
Three week, asynchronous, on-line course PLUS 2 days of hands-on training at Urbana-Champaign campus
Track 3 follows the Track 2 on-line outline but includes a 2-day, in-person workshop
Learn the hands-on process from start to finish during workshop
Use scanners, cameras, software, and create metadata
TRACK 3:
IDI Training Opportunities
Other Important Outcomes
Several participants in Track 1 have gone on to take the Track 2 or 3 course.
Participants in Track 2 and 3 wanted to keep access to the electronic bulletin board and on-line community of new digitizers.
New digitizers felt more comfortable asking questions in the company of others new to the field.
Amy [email protected](217) 244 - 4946
http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/IDI
IDI Training Opportunities
For more information about locations and dates of any of the workshops or courses:
©2004, Illinois Digitization Institute. All rights reserved.
Metadata Context: Aggregate metadata from multiple IMLS
funded collections into a central repository
What is metadata? Data about data (?) Structured information about a resource Lots of kinds of metadata
Why is metadata important? Discovery of resources Decide whether resource is useful or pertinent
Many Decisions to Make Who is it for? Multiple audiences?(local users, global users, in house staff, colleagues from
other institutions, etc, etc)
What format standard do you use? Or do you?
What are you describing? (Physical object or digital? Or both?)
How are you describing it? (Controlled vocabulary? Local thesaurus?)
Granularity of Description: Excerpt of Metadata Record Describing “American Woven Coverlet”
Granularity of Description: Excerpt of Metadata Record Describing "Cotton coverlet with embroidered butterfly design"
What does this record represent?
Identifier: http://images.umdl.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?view=entry;subview=detail;cc=fish3ic;entryid=X-0802;viewid=1004_112
Publisher: UMMZ Fish Division Format: jpeg Type: image Subject: 1926-05-18 1926;0812;18;Trib. to Sixteen Cr. Trib.
Pine River, Manistee R.;R10W;S26; S27;JAM26-460;05;T21N;1926/05/18
Language: UND Description: Flora and Fauna of the Great Lakes Region
Metadata Questions What’s the purpose of the metadata?
Who’s your audience?
What are you describing? What’s most useful for your audience?
Is the metadata clear? Understandable?
Are you using standards? If not, why not?
Contact Information
Sarah L. ShreevesProject Coordinator, IMLS Digital Collections and ContentUniversity of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign
217-244-7809